USA right-back Sergiño Dest joins PSV on free transfer from Barcelona

American defender Sergiño Dest has made his transfer to PSV Eindhoven permanent after a one-year loan from Barcelona, ​​the Dutch club announced on Saturday.

The 23-year-old made 25 appearances in the Eredivisie in the 2023/24 season and scored twice as PSV won their first Dutch league title in six years, but suffered a cruciate ligament tear in April that ended his season. The injury required surgery and ruled Dest out of the US squad for this summer’s Copa América.

“First of all, PSV believes in me and I am very much appreciated here,” said Dest. “I have gotten to know the club and it is incredibly warm, like I have never experienced anywhere else.

“These are important aspects for someone in my situation and give me the confidence that I can rehabilitate well here. I am really looking forward to making minutes again, being important and winning more titles.”

Dest is expected to be out until early 2025 as he recovers from his cruciate ligament injury. Barcelona wanted to get around $11 million from the sale of Dest, but his injury meant he was available to PSV for free.

“Sergiño convinced us so much last season that we absolutely did not want to miss the opportunity to sign him on a full-time basis,” said PSV’s director of football affairs Earnie Stewart. “He has so many qualities. The [injury] situation does not change that. He played an important role in the 25th national title. His arrival is a very good start to the transfer period.”

Dest was born and raised in the Netherlands, but qualifies for the US through his father. He began his career at Ajax before joining Barcelona in 2020. He spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Milan. He has 33 caps and two goals for the USMNT and played for his national team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.